The American Kennel Club Announces Urban Public Access Test

NEW YORK, June 15, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Kennel Club (AKC^®), the world's largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, is proud to announce the AKC Urban Canine Good Citizen Public Access Test (formerly known as AKC Urban CGC).

Urban CGC began in 2015 as a program that was designed to test a dog's skills in an urban setting.  For the purpose of this advanced level of CGC, "Urban" is defined as any city or town setting that provides the dog with exposure to crowds, traffic, noises, smells and other environmental stimuli.  Urban CGC dogs are under control in dog-friendly businesses and in the community.

"AKC's Urban CGC test has always included the items needed for public access testing,' said Mary Burch, Director of the AKC Family Dog program. "Public access tests demonstrate that the handler has good control over the dog and the dog is well-behaved when in public."

There are ten skills necessary to pass the AKC Urban Canine Good Citizen Public Access Test, including entering/exiting doorways, walking through a crowd, using stairs/elevators, crossing streets and public interaction.

"The Urban CGC test can fill the desire of lodging, retail, and transportation businesses, and managers of public facilities for dog owners to provide evidence that a dog has been trained to behave in public settings," said Doug Ljungren, Executive VP for Sports & Events.  "The repositioning of Urban CGC as a public access test can provide a valuable public service to dog- friendly businesses." 

To earn the Urban CGC title, dogs must have already passed the basic CGC test.  The Urban CGC test is open to all dog that are registered with the AKC or enrolled in the PAL or AKC Canine Partners program. 

For more info, please see: https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/akc-urban-canine-good-citizen/

Note:  Passing the Urban CGC or a Canine Good Citizen test alone does not make a dog a service dog or emotional support dog. A key distinction of service or emotional support dogs is that the owner/handler has a disability. It is unethical to misrepresent a pet dog as a service or emotional support animal.

About the American Kennel Club
Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization, which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org.

AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc.

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SOURCE American Kennel Club

Related Links

http://www.akc.org/